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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24333991">Custom of the Sea</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Repeatinglitanies/pseuds/Repeatinglitanies'>Repeatinglitanies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Blood, Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Don’t copy to another site, Dubious Consent, F/M, No one is as they seem in this fic, morally gray characters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:34:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,992</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24333991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Repeatinglitanies/pseuds/Repeatinglitanies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Vanya shouldn’t have broken her promise to Mom.</p><p>She shouldn’t have gone to sea, even if it was for her honeymoon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Number Five | The Boy/Vanya Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first time she found out Ben hitched a ride home, Vanya had thought some sort of eldritch horror used her violin case as a portal from its dimension to her own. But by the fifth time this happened, Vanya had resigned herself to simply double checking her bags before she left the aquarium that also doubled as a seaside sanctuary for marine mammals who seemed to have little to no success of reintegrating with their own species back in the wild.</p><p>Ben the Octopus was one of its smartest inhabitants and considered to be the resident escape artist. Of course, having no bones in a body that could contort itself into many different permutations coupled with a brain geared towards problem-solving and eight fully functioning limbs, it was perhaps safer to say that the aquarium didn’t stand a chance.</p><p>No matter what precautions or how intricate the locks and security, Ben eventually found his way out. And his favourite option of escape was hitching a ride with Vanya.</p><p>For her part, Vanya didn’t know why a very intelligent octopus that could solve a Rubik’s Cube in a matter of hours would continue to use her as some sort of getaway vehicle. Because she always brought him back as soon as she found him.</p><p>It wasn’t as if Ben couldn’t store memories. Vanya suspected Ben memorised security’s regular check up rounds and knew exactly what time would be optimal to escape and also ensure the guards didn’t even notice him missing. </p><p>Each time she brought the octopus back, Vanya had been greeted by a guard’s befuddled look as she pretty much carried Ben up to his tank, all while Ben held on for dear life (his suction cups really stuck on her skin) and looked at her with his version of a puppy dog look.</p><p>Vanya almost felt guilty at the thought of leaving him at the aquarium. That seemed to be a common occurrence in her relationships with those who actually care about her. </p><p>But where was she supposed to put an octopus in her tiny apartment? And besides, Ben was not a pet. He was a wild thing, albeit one under the guardianship of the aquarium. There was no way she could keep him.</p><p>Even so, she only managed to alleviate her guilt with the thought of feeding him more of his favourite fish the next time she visited.</p><p>This really wasn’t what she signed up for. Vanya was and still is an orchestral violinist. But that wasn’t her only source of income. </p><p>Some of her colleagues at the orchestra earn extra money by teaching. And for some time, Vanya had done the same. </p><p>Had she followed Mom’s advise and constant reminders, Vanya would have continued on teaching young children how to hold a violin properly.  </p><p>But time and space from her adoptive mother made Vanya think that Mom might have been mistaken. After all, Mom had been in a mental institution for years. And she had ceased to make any sense since a major breakdown when Vanya was eighteen and forced to sign the only other person who loved her into a facility far away from her beloved mountains.</p><p>And even before that, as Vanya realized with the luxury of hindsight, Mom had never really been at the peak of mental health. This wasn’t to mean Mom was violent, neglectful and/or abusive. Despite being a beautiful, single working mother that had recently moved to the mountain town of Rella, Grace Hargreeves had never entertained any of the attention her striking looks had garnered, choosing to spend her time either with her patients or her daughter. </p><p>Vanya didn’t know how Grace did it, but Mom always made sure she was eating three nutritious (vegetarian) meals a day, drove her to and from school (whenever Vanya’s fragile health would allow it) all while seeing patients from eight in the morning to late at night.</p><p>Grace had been the only doctor in town, which meant that she was never out of work. But since the ground floor of her house was basically the doctor’s clinic, Vanya could always just pop in whenever she wanted to see her mom. Not that Grace’s work was ever an issue between them as Vanya had always been sickly, which meant that Mom would always make time partly out of fear that a lack of vigilance might mean a slip in Vanya’s health.</p><p>The townspeople liked Grace well enough. For one thing, she had excellent bedside manners and was known to be so gentle and caring towards her patients that the close-knit community didn’t take too long to consider Grace and Vanya one of their own.</p><p>Overall, Rella was not a bad place to grow up in. Some would even call it excellent with scenic views of trees and mountains. And neighbours that were ready to even give her the shirt off their backs should Vanya have really needed it.</p><p>But Vanya had always been shy and timid by nature. She didn’t think her illness was the only factor that made her prefer her solitude indoors, reading books and playing her violin instead of playing with the other children. The forest should have beckoned her towards adventure like the protagonists in her books. But Vanya never was comfortable with going outside. For one thing, their mountain town didn’t feel right to her even though she had lived there all her life. </p><p>Vanya didn’t hate the town, the trees or the mountains. It just didn’t feel welcoming to her. Despite interacting with the townsfolk, eating its food, walking its paths and taking in its sights and simply just living there with the one person she loved most in the world, it just didn’t feel right to her despite knowing it was home. </p><p>In hindsight, perhaps that was the main cause for her solitude. This sense that she was different, a fish out of water. Soon enough, her classmates got the message and no longer invited her to camping trips and sleepovers (Vanya didn’t want to leave Mom alone anyway), to hang out at the local diner (Vanya didn’t eat meat or anything that even used animal grease or any kitchen utensils that had direct contact with meat) or to even just play (Vanya just didn’t have the energy).</p><p>Hence, Vanya was a loner, both by nature and by choice. Sometimes, she was completely fine with it. But then, at other times, she cursed her choices and desperately wanted to have someone to talk to. Sure, there was Mom. But there were simply things that she could never talk to Mom about.</p><p>Mom sometimes got weird when she was left alone. While Vanya had been growing up, she would sometimes forget about Mom’s one eccentricity because it came and went without warning and only once in a blue moon. But whenever it did manifest, Vanya would always know. Sometimes, Vanya would wake up at half past midnight to find Mom cleaning the whole house or preparing a full course meal.</p><p>Whenever Grace was in this state, she would act as if Vanya didn’t exist no matter how much Vanya tried to call to Mom’s attention as if she was sleepwalking only to suddenly snap out of her state by a seemingly interminable bout of sobbing that only ended with making Vanya promise never to break her number one rule.</p><p>Mom’s eyes were always rimmed with tears and fear. And that never failed to instill fear in Vanya. Not because she feared Mom would hurt her because Mom would never hurt her. But because Vanya instinctively knew that if something could reduce Mom to a shaking, frightened mess, then it was only right that it should scare Vanya as well.</p><p>As Vanya grew older, she sensed that something had happened to Mom in the past, most likely way before she moved to Rella. And it played a big role in how Mom lived her life now.</p><p>For one thing, Mom never went on a vacation. This wasn’t to mean the clinic was never closed for holidays. Because barring life-threatening emergencies, Mom celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with her. But Mom never left Rella. Whatever off day Mom might manage to get, she spent it at home or somewhere within the vicinity of town. </p><p>And it wasn’t because there was no one to help patients when she was gone (there was a hospital the next town over should Grace be unavailable) or because she didn’t have the money to take Vanya anywhere (Vanya found out that Grace’s own mother left her a substantial amount of money). Grace simply didn’t want to leave. Not even to visit her own father.</p><p>Vanya had only met Reginald Hargreeves once. Legal documents would say that he was her grandfather and Grace’s father but he was the coldest and weirdest old man Vanya had ever met. He certainly didn’t act like a kindly grandfather or even a grumpy one. The way he looked at Vanya set chills down her spine even as a little girl because even then, Vanya had sensed in him a type of indifference that said he didn’t care if she lived or died, that if she somehow found herself hanging from a cliff then the old man would simply stand by to see what she would do, neither extending a hand to help nor one to harm.</p><p>Reginald only visited Grace once to order her to come back with him to the city. But Grace refused and the old man left without even staying the night. </p><p>Looking back, Vanya had to wonder if Grace’s refusal stemmed from her ambivalence towards saltwater. The city was near the sea after all. </p><p>And as a doctor, she would gladly prescribe nasal sprays for blocked noses and advise a gargle of saltwater for sore throats for her patients. But she would never let Vanya near salt water or any combination of salt and water even when Vanya was coming down with the flu. Mom said that Vanya was allergic to it even though it was all right for Vanya to eat food sprinkled with salt and drink water individually. </p><p>What was even more strange was that Mom wouldn’t take salt water herself. Even when Mom accidentally let it slip that she wasn’t allergic at all.</p><p>And then there were her preferred shows and movies or rather the ones she didn’t prefer. In general, Mom let Vanya watch whatever she wanted as long as Mom was watching with her. Under Mom’s watch, Vanya watched Wrong Turn, The Blair Witch Project and the Hills Have Eyes. But Jaws, Free Willy, Flipper, Pirates of the Caribbean and even the Discovey Channel’s Shark Week was forbidden.</p><p>Vanya would have challenged her on it if she hadn’t seen how an image of the ocean somehow made Mom literally soil herself. </p><p>Had Vanya been older and wiser, she might have found a way to wrestle the truth out of Mom. Why she never let Vanya go to the aquarium or why a big expanse of water frightened her so much? Why did Mom feel the need to move to a mountain town as far from the sea as possible? What happened to her to make her so afraid? </p><p>But now it was too late. Mom rarely recognised her whenever Vanya visited her lonely hospital room, giving Vanya a front row seat to her ravings about selkies, sirens and krakens, about creatures in the deep that held a savage, ruthless intelligence and how they like to watch men perform something she referred to as “the custom of the sea.”</p><p>And when Mom was lucid enough to know it was Vanya talking to her, she would remind Vanya to keep her promise. </p><p>Visiting Mom always made her sad. But her nurse Diego always encouraged her to come back, telling Vanya that Mom was actually happier whenever Vanya came in to see her.</p><p>Vanya doubted that. And even if it were true, she was wracked with a little bit of jealousy that a stranger now knew her Mom better than she did. And then she was wracked with guilt. Both for how she just thought of Diego whose only crime was being good at his job and for how Vanya didn’t have it in her to take care of Mom herself.</p><p>Then there was Vanya’s guilt in having Reginald’s butler, Mr Pogo, convince her to have Mom brought to a hospital in the city. A city by the sea. And Vanya knew full well that Mom hated the sea. But it was the best psychiatric hospital in the country. The hospital staff knew what they were doing and they had training. They knew how to care for patients with ailments similar to Mom’s. And all Vanya could do was to agree and alleviate her guilt by moving to the city herself, enrolling at the local university for her Music Degree and getting a job at the local orchestra to be as near to Mom as she could, visiting whenever time allowed.</p><p>For some reason, the city seemed more welcoming to Vanya than the mountains ever did. Vanya felt a little more energy than before and was able to live by herself off the stipend from Mom’s inheritance and part time jobs. While Vanya still needed to see a doctor for regular checkups, it wasn’t as constant as when she was growing up. Overall, Vanya’s health was better than ever. And that made her guilty all the more. </p><p>Because despite what logic would say, Vanya felt that the price for her getting better was Mom getting sick. She knew it was ridiculous. That didn’t stop Vanya from feeling the way she did. So instead of getting drinks with her classmates and later co-workers, she went to see Mom, she continued eating vegetarian and avoided salt water. She even actively refused to visit the aquarium, even though Reginald apparently owned it and despite Pogo’s kindly suggestion to take a look at its beautiful imagery.</p><p>Even when Vanya wasn’t so sure Mom understood her, she told Grace of everything that happened to her at school and at work. At that point, Vanya figured it was too late for her to learn how to make friends and resigned herself to living alone for the rest of her life.</p><p>But then she met Leonard who was nice to her and went out of his way to spend time with her, even accompanying her to visit Mom.</p><p>Vanya thought that meant he loved her. And that meant that she should love him back. So when he proposed, Vanya accepted. </p><p>The guilt simply piled up when she told Mom. Because how could she not even have her own mother at her wedding? </p><p>But Leonard had always loved the ocean. And he had always wanted a ceremony by the sea. And Mom would only freak out if she were anywhere near a wet market or a restaurant that served seafood. Vanya had allowed Mom’s move to her hospital because Pogo assured her it didn’t offer a view of the sea. But there was no way Mom wouldn’t see open ocean water at the wedding.</p><p>Leonard said that he was sure Mom would want Vanya to be happy, that Mom would want Vanya to go through with a wedding with the man she loved even if it was without her. </p><p>Looking back, Vanya couldn’t believe how much of a fool she was to acquiesce to Leonard’s wishes. She wished she had taken the time to meet more people and make more meaningful connections. Maybe if she had actual friends, she would have had warning to what Leonard truly was. </p><p>It wasn’t that she didn’t want friends. Just that she felt so out of place and alone even in a crowded room. And even as part of a group of people that produce harmonious music, she felt like a fraud that didn’t belong where she was. Vanya knew it wasn’t right to feel this way. She had worked hard to earn her place at St Pluvium’s Orchestra. And given time, her performance might even surpass the first chair’s. And yet, she still felt like she wasn’t truly part of anything.</p><p>Leonard was the only one that really went above and beyond when it came to befriending her, always inviting her despite the numerous times she had declined, sending her flowers before a performance, inviting her to his shop. He was the only one, aside from Mom, who never gave up on her.</p><p>And to someone like Vanya who always felt like an outsider even in a town full of friendly neighbors, how could she not love someone who was so unabashed in showing his love for her?</p><p>Sure Leonard was very opinionated and wanted things done a certain way. But Vanya just saw that as him being courageous and uncompromising in his principles. </p><p>He can be a little clingy. But Vanya thought it was just that he couldn’t stand to be away from her.</p><p>She had been completely fooled into thinking that what he felt for her was love and that he was a different person to who he actually was.</p><p>That was why she even gladly broke her promise to Mom.</p><p>And thus, her honeymoon at a luxury cruise was the first time she actually came in close contact with the sea.</p><p>Not long after, Vanya realized what a big mistake she had made. It was an understatement to say that her decision almost cost her life.</p><p>She remembered it was a full moon on the night Leonard revealed his true colours. He had managed to convince her to go to a secluded part of the ship, romantic with its view of the moon and stars dazzling the night sky but away from prying eyes and ears that could interrupt and ruin the joyous night of celebration.</p><p>Her guilt about Mom aside, Vanya couldn’t be happier.</p><p>Until Leonard pushed her over the edge of the balcony and onto open waters. On instinct, she managed to grab onto Leonard and pull him down with her.</p><p>Apparently, the ship’s security and crew didn’t live up to their Brand’s sterling reputation. Because no one noticed two people going overboard.</p><p>Vanya’s first instinct was to shout for help. But Leonard cut it short, pulling her hair forcefully back in order to submerge her head underwater, a blatant attempt to drown her and finish the job.</p><p>She tried to fight back, tried to scratch and kick. But all it did was tire her. </p><p>Vanya could feel sea water down her throat, going through her nostrils, entering her lungs. Soon enough, she would drown in the midst of her disbelief that the man she had shared her body, her secrets, her thoughts, and her innermost self would do this to her. How could he do this when he himself shared so much with her?</p><p>He had told her of how alone he felt being raised by a single, abusive father. How he had to work to re-build his father’s company from the ground up after years of mismanagement. How he never really felt like he belonged anywhere or with anyone until he met her.</p><p>But that wasn’t true, was it?</p><p>What Leonard had done to her and was doing to her wasn’t in any way a sharing. He was taking. He had taken advantage of her guilt and loneliness and inexperience with people. Making her feel better about herself at a time when she felt the most awful by having Mom be taken care of by strangers while she pursued her own dreams.</p><p>And she lapped his attention up because she had no one else other than Mom. And Mom had been so far from her for a very long time.</p><p>She betrayed Mom by leaving her alone. Just as she betrayed Mom by breaking her promise never to go to sea. Mom had never asked anything of her but to be herself and to try and to obey that one thing. And she failed.</p><p>Now, it looked like there was no way she could make it up to Mom.</p><p>Leonard was killing her. And he could very well get away with it. The sea was a vast place. And with no one other than Leonard knowing that she fell overboard, looking for her body at sea would be like searching for a needle in the haystack. </p><p>Once he was done with her and he managed to get the attention of a crew on watch duty, his murder plot could still go without a hitch. The cruise ship was a big place. He could tell the crew that he accidentally fell and to not bother his wife. And the cruise ship might just go along with it. </p><p>By the time Leonard got back to their room and “found Vanya missing.” The ship might already be nautical miles away from her corpse, that may or may not have already been devoured by various sea fauna. And Leonard would become a rich man with the insurance alone. </p><p>And what about Grace? Vanya stood to inherit once Grace passed away. Grace had no other relatives left, aside from a father who had never once visited her. Which meant that with Vanya gone, Grace’s money could very well pass to Leonard.</p><p>And that made Vanya angry. Because there was no way she’d let this asshole get his hands on Grace.</p><p>The anger gave Vanya a boost of energy. She fought even more ferociously than before knowing that both her and Grace’s life would depend on it.</p><p>But it wasn’t enough. Vanya had never been fully healthy to begin with. She could feel herself tiring. And she was rapidly losing consciousness.</p><p>She didn’t want to die. And she wanted to save Grace.</p><p>Those were her last thoughts before she sensed something coming their way. Whatever it was, it was big and it didn’t care whether she lived or died. And for some reason, it was still far off in the distance. </p><p>
  <i>How could I know it’s coming here?</i>
</p><p>Then everything faded to black.</p><p>She was found naked on the beach a few days later. Physically, she was completely fine. And she had never remembered a time when she felt as good as she did. Which greatly compensated for the fact that she didn’t know what happened to her on the days she had been lost at sea.</p><p>The doctors told her that it wasn’t uncommon to lose memories due to a traumatic experience. The memories might return or it might not. The workings of the mind are still a mystery even with all the diligence of scientific observation and experimentation.</p><p>She could live with that.</p><p>Vanya told the police everything that happened up to the point where Leonard tried to drown her at sea. After which, there was no way she could explain how she survived and ended up on an American beach. And without clothes.</p><p>She’d like to know that herself.</p><p>Vanya didn’t completely lose all memory of what happened after Leonard’s attempt to drown her. But how can she call what was left a valid memory?</p><p>This was the part she never told police or the doctors because the only thing she had were snippets. Snippets that might just be the product of an overwrought mind.</p><p>She was haunted by disjointed jumbles of sights, sounds, textures and sensations. Most of all, there was that sweet, coppery taste that was both foreign and familiar. </p><p>The police did a background check on Leonard, to find that he was actually a conman named Harold Jenkins. It was chilling to find out how much work Leon-, no, Harold did in order to insert himself into her life.</p><p>He knew about her inheritance from Grace, one Grace inherited from Reginald’s late wife who had money of her own before marrying the old man. He planned to throw her overboard fully confident that she wouldn’t survive being alone at sea. </p><p>Leonard decided to sentence her to a slow, painful death. But he hit a snag in his plan when he got thrown in the water with her.</p><p>Over the course of the investigation, the police found out that Leonard had an accomplice who boarded the cruise ship. </p><p>
  <i>No wonder he focused on trying to kill her rather than getting back on the boat. He had backup that could get him back on the ship</i>
</p><p>But the man went missing as soon as the ship docked at the nearest port. The police think that he decided to leave as soon as Harold went missing, correctly deducing that something went wrong and not wanting to be caught up in a police investigation.</p><p>The police assured her they were still looking for the accomplice. Her case was still open. But since the police considered her the victim, she didn’t have anything to fear from them.</p><p>And yet, why did it feel like she should?</p><p>____________________</p><p>Despite feeling a lot better physically, and despite wanting to be a better daughter, Vanya couldn’t find it in herself to face Grace.</p><p>She wished it was simply because of her shame of breaking a promise to her mother or the guilt that she actually felt relieved to hear Grace never registered the news that she briefly went missing.</p><p>Vanya was a coward. She didn’t want to visit her Mom at the hospital because she was starting to believe that she belonged there with her. That she should also be locked up and never to be put in contact with the rest of humanity.</p><p>Ever since coming back from sea, Vanya felt like a changed woman. At least in the physical aspect. She could now run miles when before, she couldn’t even go up a flight of stairs without feeling like she was losing consciousness.</p><p>And then, there were the cravings. Vanya had been a vegetarian all her life. But for some reason, she started eating sushi, which graduated to eating other types of meat. And she found herself liking her steak rare, the bloodier the better.</p><p>Then there was how her senses seem to be heightened. She could now hear conversations coming from her neighbors in the fifth floor even though she lived at the second. </p><p>And she could now determine which one of her other female co-workers were having their time of the month. </p><p>Worst of all were the dreams, dreams she would almost completely forget as soon as she woke up. Sometimes, all that remained were images of what might have happened to her at sea that were too fantastical to be believed.</p><p>But those were flashes that her mind couldn’t keep up with them, much less comprehend. All she had left was the feeling of having the tables turned on Leonard. That instead of him drowning her, it somehow became the other way around.</p><p>That she was the powerful one dragging him down, down, down to the depths and he was the one punching and kicking at her, sending her blows that barely even registered to her.</p><p>And then there was a ravenous hunger and a feeling of triumph as she finally achieved her heart’s desire. Somehow the scent of blood that surrounded her became equated to the sense of overwhelming victory. </p><p>Sometimes, she would dream of a creature instead. Vanya had thought there was something coming her way as she and Leonard fought in the water. And whenever her dream of winning against Leonard was allowed to continue, the dream had her feeling a sudden dread as something swam her way.</p><p>Her instincts told her to swim as far and as fast as she could. </p><p>She tried. But the creature knew of her retreat and pursued her. And it was even faster. In no time at all, it slammed into her forcefully enough to paralyse all movement. And just like that she became prey.</p><p>
  <i>Give me a reason why I shouldn’t devour your liver like I do the rest of your kind.</i>
</p><p>The creature was larger than her and it didn’t use a human tongue or a human mouth or even any human language she knew of to communicate.</p><p>And yet, Vanya understood it.</p><p>By instinct, even paralysed as she was, Vanya knew there was no guarantee this creature wouldn’t end her new lease on life. But she had no choice. She knew of no way to communicate with the creature or how to convince it to spare her life. </p><p>All she had left was to make herself into a form that he didn’t normally see as prey.</p><p>And suddenly, she felt the chilling cold of the water, coupled by the dawning realisation that she was naked.</p><p>Where had her clothes gone? And why can’t she see this creature?</p><p>But that thought passed just as quickly as the rubbery caress at her thigh. </p><p>
  <i>Smooth. I like that. I thought you’d be rough to the touch. But I suppose in that form, your texture changes as well.</i>
</p><p>The voice sounded hungry, as its owner circled her form, making sure to maintain contact with her while at the same time not jostling her from her position. Vanya thought she was face up from the water. But that wasn’t much of a comfort. Because she didn’t seem to be anywhere near the surface.</p><p>The creature was smooth as well. But unlike the smoothness of human touch, the creature’s skin was similar to a balloon’s. But that was where the similarity ended. While a balloon only encased air, this creature had mass and muscle beneath it’s skin. Vanya was sure she’d suffer broken bones and other internal injuries should it decide to use the full force of its mass against her.</p><p>It hadn’t stopped circling her. And she wondered if it was playing with her. Not in the way a puppy would nip or bark to call attention but in the way of a cat toying with a mouse before it inevitably devoured its prey.</p><p>Instinctively, she knew this as her heart beat faster than ever. And had she been above water, she’d breathe in lungs full of air. </p><p>It could hear her, sense her fear, feel her mounting distress even (though Vanya could not say how she knew that). It didn’t back away. </p><p>Instead, it chuckled. Or at least a sea creature’s equivalent to a chuckle.</p><p>
  <i>You certainly made this day interesting for me. What you did to that man was magnificent! I only wish I got to see all of it.</i>
</p><p>What did it mean? What did she do to Leonard? And how is it that she could breathe underwater?</p><p>And through it all, the creature used its body to maintain contact, giving a sensation that was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. It was gentle or tried to be given its size.</p><p>
  <i>So I’ll give you a choice. You can let me eat you…</i>
</p><p>Was that a pectoral fin running up her leg? She couldn’t see. But she sensed the tip of it starting from her foot going up to her ankle.</p><p>
  <i>Or you can let me have sex with you.</i>
</p><p>In what felt like less than a second, the fin running up her leg started to feel like fingers that went straight to that space between her legs.</p><p>The large form that had circled her seeming to change to another form, a more human form.</p><p>And Vanya was left with both a longing to see and a compulsion to look away. In the end, she didn’t get a choice. Because she woke up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Vanya had left for her honeymoon, Leonard had managed to convince her to stop giving lessons. He wanted more time with her, he said. Besides, didn’t she want to devote more time to practice and improve, enough to finally unseat Helen as first chair?</p><p>So she had complied. Vanya now regretted listening to Leonard.</p><p>Not that she really needed the money. But she missed the feeling of not being totally alone.</p><p>Unfortunately, by the time she felt up to giving lessons again, her previous students had already found new teachers or had lost interest in the violin altogether.</p><p>So she had to look for new students. </p><p>She hadn’t had much luck on that front. Each day, she woke up hoping that she’d get a call from a parent who wanted lessons for his or her child. Only for her hope to go down with the setting sun.</p><p>The only bright spot to her days outside orchestra practice were the flowers. </p><p>When she heard her doorbell one day, Vanya had thought that Pogo must have sent something for her to sign. Or that perhaps her neighbour Mrs Kowalski needed help to find her cat again. There was even a part of her that hoped it was one of her colleagues at the orchestra, who might have suddenly felt the need to check up on her.</p><p>But to her surprise, she opened the door to a delivery man who carried the most stunning arrangement of white roses Vanya had ever seen.</p><p>Vanya had thought it might have been from work or from Pogo or maybe even from her previous students. </p><p>But there wasn’t even a card to provide her with the identity of the sender. The delivery man couldn’t help either. When questioned, he can only tell her that he picked it up from the florist, who in turn couldn’t tell her who ordered the arrangement.</p><p>All they knew was that the flowers were for her.</p><p>Having come out of what could have been a deadly relationship, it should have made Vanya wary, especially when another arrangement (this time white chrysanthemums) came a week later. As it turned out, this floral arrangement originated from a different flower shop from another part of town.</p><p>This should have made her put her guard up. But Vanya had felt so lonely. And the thought that there was someone out there who took the time and consideration to send her flowers made her feel a little less alone.</p><p>As the months went by, she gave up trying to find out the identity of her mysterious “admirer” though she was reluctant to call him or her that. Every week came with a delivery of different flowers. The only constant was their delivery and their colour. The flowers were always white. </p><p>Thinking that there might be some secret message to be decoded from it, Vanya got it into her head to consult a book about the meaning of flowers. But if the sender was trying to tell her something with the flowers, she felt that he or she had wasted time. Because she didn’t understand. There were far too many meanings assigned to a particular flower depending on culture and period that Vanya only ended up confused. </p><p>So she gave up on trying to decipher any possible (though unlikely) coded message through the meaning of flowers. In the end, Vanya comforted herself with the notion that perhaps the fact that someone would send her flowers every week was a message in and of itself.</p><p>She hoped the sender would reveal himself or herself.</p><p>But she wouldn’t hold her breath for it. </p><p>So she re-focused her attention on getting new students. Unfortunately, Vanya had never been great at marketing herself, no matter how hard she tried.<br/>
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  <i>Gaining human form had only been a small step in his plans. At first, he felt disgusted at the monstrosity of human limbs and fingers. His human form’s inability to breathe underwater and its lack of skill in the hunt, its frailty and the utter paradox of how humanity managed to drive his kind to the brink of extinction despite how easily he could destroy any that crossed his waters.</i>
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  <i>He didn’t enjoy what he had to do to gain this human form. His human form. But it was necessary. Of course, that might simply be his now human brain asserting itself. Deluding itself that whatever action it took was justified. He hated that. Hated having to reflect on actions that cannot be undone and revisit it all over again.</i>
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  <i>He had lived and survived by the law of the sea. And in order to remain in its waters, one hunted for prey lest one became the prey. Whatever one did needed no reason or justification. If pressed for one, then might would be the only reason one needed to do what one willed. To live, one had to kill. To heighten the odds of survival, one preyed on weaker beings. It simply will not do to live long enough to enjoy a meal only to find out it was one’s last. If one can avoid a struggle, do so. But if not, prepare to fight as if one’s life depended on it. Because it truly did.</i>
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  <i>But he had always known he was more than most creatures that inhabited the four oceans. Ever since he had made the choice to survive by leaving his mother, he lived for more than mere survival. But in all the time he had spent roaming the very depths and ends of the planet, he had not met anyone else like him. And that was a problem because even he knew that even the largest creature contained by the ocean could eventually be overwhelmed by an army of small creatures should such creatures actually decide the fight was worth it.</i>
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  <i>True, he had encountered many that shared his other form, his birth form. His powerful form that struck fear into the hearts of other predators. But they were not like him. They traveled as a family and had tried to kill him as soon as they sensed he wasn’t a part of their family. In the grand scheme of things, that turned out to be a godsend. It made it easier to kill them. And then, eat them. Which was how he managed to gain this disgusting human form. No, those killer whales weren’t anything like him. For one thing, they wouldn’t be able to gain this human form had they tried to cannibalize each other. This wasn’t to say that he had ever witnessed a family of orcas eating one another. But then again, this was the sea. When food becomes scarce, one had to make do with what was at hand.</i>
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  <i>There were others like him. Able to turn into a more horrendous monstrosity, a human, by consuming their own kind. But they had allowed themselves to be subjugated. So he wanted no part of them, even if they shared similar origins. It was certainly amusing that his kind could take the human form by eating each other. But humans maintained their form when they ate their own kind. It was as if there was nothing worse than being human.</i>
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  <i>Then the White Woman crossed his path. And he discovered what advantages and pleasures could be had with the human form. Joining with her gave him a glimpse of what human society was like. And his mind finally whirled with possibilities.</i>
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  <i>He didn’t want to let her go. But he comforted himself with the knowledge that their paths would cross again. He knew her, perhaps even better than she knew herself. Definitely, better than she knew herself. She came from the same place as well. And she would inevitably make her way back there.</i>
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  <i>He would eventually go back too. But not as a captive. Never. When he returned to his birthplace, there would be a reckoning. And anyone who stood in his way would be cast into oblivion.</i>
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  <i>But first, he needed to know more of how humanity worked.</i>
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  <i>Walking on land was such an arduous process. He registered that he had to trudge through sand in order to get further inland and finally learn what soil was. It wasn’t surprising to know that the sky looked the same on land as it did in sea. He took a moment to marvel and breathe this new world in.</i>
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  <i>The only thing marring the perfection of the moment was the incessant screaming, the sound of struggle and the scent of blood. Under normal circumstances, he would have gone there immediately to deal with whoever was the victor. That amount of fighting meant that whoever was left would at the very least expended enough energy to be easy enough prey for him. But this night wasn’t a normal night, not for him. It was his first foray on land. And he had wanted to savour it.</i>
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  <i>But it wasn’t to be. The victor noticed him. The information he gleaned from the White Woman’s mind told him that he was witness to what humans called a “crime.”  And usually, perpetrators do not take kindly to witnesses.</i>
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  <i>At the moment, he seemed to be at a distinct disadvantage. His human form was so much weaker than his birth form. He did not have sharp teeth nor powerful fins to defend himself. He was what humans considered to be naked, without clothes or armor to slightly cushion blows or protect him from attacks or the elements. While the perpetrator had a knife and was making its way toward him.</i>
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  <i>Of course, the perpetrator was mistaken to think him prey. Even in this weak human form, his strength was far superior to the knife wielder’s. Predator that he is, he didn’t allow prey to get away. He allowed himself a second to enjoy as his prey realized his error in judgment. And then he partook of the prey’s flesh. He decided to keep the knife and wear the perpetrator’s clothes. And as he needed more information on humankind, he started to consume the prey’s brain.</i>
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  <i>And as he was not one to waste valuable resources, he feasted on the other body. Victim and Perpetrator did not make much difference to him</i>
</p><p>______________________</p><p>Strangely enough, it was her attempts at gaining new pupils that inevitably led Vanya to the Atlantic Aquarium, ATAQ for short. Vanya was on her way back from having tried (and failed) to persuade the parents of a potential student to take her on as a violin teacher for their son. She remembered being down and dejected from another round of rejection and vaguely wondered how salespeople could handle their jobs when she stopped dead on her tracks. </p><p>Someone was singing with the most enchanting voice she had ever heard.</p><p>For some reason, no one else seemed to have noticed it. But the weird part was that Vanya didn’t care. Because something about that voice felt familiar. It felt like home. Not in the same way she felt growing up with Mom. More like feeling as if she was being lead somewhere she was supposed to be.</p><p>So she followed the direction of the ethereal voice. Vanya vaguely noted the sign saying that she was entering the same aquarium owned by Grace’s father. With a prick of guilt, she knew that Grace wouldn't have wanted her there. </p><p>But she entered the aquarium anyway.</p><p>It was supposed to be closed. And yet no one inside stopped her or barred her entry. </p><p>And for some reason, Vanya didn’t even feel the slightest bit frightened or worried in doing so. In fact, she walked as if she owned the place. As if she had every right to be there.</p><p>She had never been in the aquarium before (or any aquarium for that matter). But she seemed to believe that she only needed to follow that singing voice to be where she needed to be.</p><p>Vanya could feel eyes following her every movement, not all of them human. She made her way past fishes, stingrays, octopi (or was that octopuses?) and other creatures one could only have seen in the depths of the sea had humans not interfered. And all of them seem to regard her with something she couldn’t quite name. Fear? Horror? Awe? Wonder? Some combination of any or all of these?</p><p>But for reasons Vanya can’t even explain to herself, she disregarded them. Because they were nothing compared to the voice that seemed to beckon her to come to its source.</p><p>So she continued walking. She encountered a half naked man swimming with dolphins as the creatures passed a pufferfish around as if it were a ball (given that the fish puffed into a ball like shape, it seemed an apt comparison). She also trudged past an octopus squeezing its way out of its tank and onto another tank. </p><p>Not for the first or the last time, Vanya would not be able to explain how she knew that the octopus wanted to feed on the creatures inside the tank. Just as she wouldn’t be able to understand how she knew the man with the dolphins and the pufferfish was getting high on the pufferfish’s toxins. The man could die. And yet, inexplicably, Vanya’s instincts told her he would be fine.</p><p>So she went forward to the source of that voice.</p><p>How could it reach her when she had been so far away?</p><p>Vanya registered that she must have been walking for fifteen minutes now and she had still not reached the singer. She had made her way to the dimmer part of the aquarium, a hallway filled with haunting, grotesque paintings that reminded everyone who viewed them of the horrors of the sea. </p><p>One painting showed a ship being covered by limbs that seemed to be an unholy combination of tentacles and barnacles, on its way to being submerged into the ocean depths. The plate below the painting held its name: The Kraken.</p><p>Then there was the other painting that could have been the aftermath of the kraken’s attack, had the creature actually left survivors. Five sailors on a raft, except the other four were carving the fifth sailor up, consuming his blood and entrails in what could be interpreted as a savage act of cannibalism or a desperate turn for survival. It was called Custom of the Sea.</p><p>She would have paused because it sounded familiar. But then she heard something akin to a wail that suddenly accompanied that singing voice. And just as suddenly, Vanya forgot all about the Custom of the Sea and walked on.</p><p>___________________________</p><p>The owner of the wonderful singing voice was exactly how Vanya expected her to look like, beautiful and seemingly not of this world. The name tag on her shirt said her name was Allison</p><p>But Vanya’s attention was caught by the creature Allison had been trying to soothe. Black and white in color, the creature was massive in its tank and it was in obvious pain. Not from any form of physical abuse though some would say that being confined in a tank was abuse enough for a creature like an orca.</p><p>Vanya had no experience with aquatic animals. And yet, she knew that the orca in the tank was suffering more of the emotional and mental rather than the physical. And Allison was trying her best to help. But it didn’t seem enough.</p><p>So, for reasons Vanya could (yet again) not explain, she took out her violin and played. Again and again until the orca, who she would later learn was called Dolores, calmed (at least temporarily).</p><p>If Allison was surprised by Vanya’s sudden appearance, she never let it show. Instead, Allison extended a hand for a shake and welcomed her to the aquarium. </p><p>And Vanya marveled at how confident Allison was. </p><p>“It’s nice to finally meet you, Vanya.”</p><p>Allison gave a winning smile that probably got everyone she met to do anything she wanted.</p><p>“How did you know my name?”</p><p>“Pogo told us you might come. He even gave us a picture, just to make sure no one bothered you when you decided to give us a visit.”</p><p>That explained why no one even tried to charge her an entrance fee or asked what she was doing there.</p><p>“You did an amazing job with Dolores here.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Vanya was confused. All she did was play her violin. Allison did all the work.</p><p>“Dolores has been depressed since she lost her calf. And she hasn’t been feeling any better since. I’ve been singing for her and it helps. But it hasn’t been enough recently. So I was thinking, if you’re up to it, could you come down once in a while and play for her? You don’t need to do anything else, just play for her. I tried having her listen to recordings. But Dolores likes to hear music played live.”</p><p>And that’s how Vanya got a job in the aquarium.</p><p>____________________________</p><p>For the most part, her work at ATAQ wasn’t demanding. All she had to do was play for Dolores. And in one go, she was improving her technique and her feelings of isolation. </p><p>It didn’t hurt that she felt right at home in the aquarium, with its staff and its aquatic inhabitants.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, everyone got along well with Allison. Or more accurately, everyone followed Allison’s lead, even Luther, who had been head of security even before Allison started working there. </p><p>For some reason, Vanya had expected Reginald to have a tighter rein in the day-to-day operations of the aquarium. But that wasn’t the case.</p><p>Pogo said that it was simply because the old man was already enjoying a semi-retirement.</p><p>But Klaus, who she later found out had been the man in the dolphin tank, told Vanya differently.</p><p>“Old Reggie’s out whale hunting.”</p><p>“Like Captain Ahab going after Moby Dick?”</p><p>Vanya had said that half jokingly. Because she was sure whale hunting was illegal. Then again, Reginald Hargreeves was said to be richer than Midas. And a lot of rich people had gotten away with worse.</p><p>“Not exactly. But you’re close, Little V.”</p><p>On the other hand, Klaus might just be out of it again. It was a bit of an open secret in the workplace that Klaus liked his “medication” a little too much. And it was a miracle that he hadn’t died yet from getting a little too close to that puffer fish.</p><p>“Years ago, I don’t really remember exactly how long ago, there was a beach or a couple of beaches that were overrun by dead sharks. These weren’t the small cute little sharks. These were the same as that Jaws shark.”</p><p>“You mean Great White Sharks?”</p><p>“Yes, that. No one really knows how they ended up dead. Well, they turned up on the beach all beaten up and without their livers so they have some idea. But they, the Scientists, I mean, don’t know what did that to them. But the rumour is that there’s some sort of aquatic serial killer loose on the sea. And it’s an orca. You know, a killer whale. But this serial killer had a letter ‘V’ on its dorsal fin. Sir Reggie, being ironically an avid hunter and an aquatic animal conservationist, decided to put his skills to good use and track down that serial killer...killer whale.”</p><p>“Klaus, I think you might want to lie down.”</p><p>“I’m not joking. I may OCCASIONALLY imbibe in alcohol among other things. But I’m serious about this one. Dolphins and Killer Whales, you might think they’re cuddly and friendly just because they look like they’re always smiling. But beneath those smiles are sadistic predators, calculating whether they should kill you or fuck you. But most likely kill you.”</p><p>“Dolphins want to have sex with humans?”</p><p>Vanya was amused. </p><p>“I’ve been swimming with dolphins for a very long time. I know what I’m talking about. They’ll do anything if they had the chance. People keep passing around stories of dolphins saving humans from drowning. But that’s only because those are the only kind of people they let live. Those that they decide to leave to the tender mercies of the sea or their capricious nature don’t get to tell their stories because they never get back on land.”</p><p>“Klaus!”</p><p>Allison appeared, snapping Vanya out of Klaus’ warning. But something about what Klaus said and the intensity of which he said it stayed with Vanya even as she went back home and fell asleep.</p><p>_________________________</p><p>Vanya knew she was dreaming because she was playing for the aquarium’s high class guests as they dined under the stars and within view of the pools below. The pools contained the entertainment, namely seals, dolphins and orcas trained to do tricks and sometimes gags to make the audience laugh and spend their money.</p><p>But tonight was a private affair, not to be attended by the masses. But instead, only by people who make up the upper echelons of society.</p><p>And there was no way Vanya would have agreed to do this, no matter the amount of money offered. Knowing that it depended on the suffering of animals that were arguably smarter than humans.</p><p>So this must be a dream. </p><p>The question was how to wake up. </p><p>Vanya looked around, trying to find a way to escape from these people (at the very least) when something or rather someone caught her eye.</p><p>Without even knowing how she traversed the distance between the stage and his table, Vanya found herself in front of him.</p><p>She had heard somewhere that every face that appeared in people’s dreams were actually faces they’ve seen in real life. But for the life of her, Vanya couldn’t remember this one which was unlikely because she was sure she would remember him with her dark hair, green eyes, high cheekbones and square jaws. </p><p>He was the type to turn heads, even Vanya’s.</p><p>But if she had seen him before, why can’t she remember him?</p><p>His smile was predatory and sent shivers down her spine. It was perplexing how she could no longer tell if it was caused by fear or lust. Perhaps it was simply a combination of both.</p><p>“I’d like to thank you, Vanya.”</p><p>She furrowed her brows in confusion. Vanya was sure she would have remembered doing someone a favour.</p><p>“For bringing a measure of comfort to my mother. All her life, she was forced to do a lot of things she didn’t want to do. She didn’t want that life for me. So when a chance came she told me to go. And I went, leaving her to suffer alone.”</p><p>And suddenly, her heart went out to him. Because she knew the feeling all too well. How many times did she feel the guilt of leaving Grace at that hospital?</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she said as she placed her hand on his. His hand was cold to the touch. But Vanya marveled at how easily she reached out to him. She had never done this before, especially not for a stranger.</p><p>“Me too. But not sorry as the people here will be once I’m done with them. They all had a hand in her suffering, in my suffering. And they will pay. But first, let’s enjoy ourselves, shall we?”</p><p>With a sweep of a hand, he cleared the plates of food, the bottles of wine, all of which she was sure cost more than a month of rent. But the man in front of her didn’t care as it all came crashing down on the floor. To her shock, he replaced the delicacies with her.</p><p>In no time at all, her back was on the table, his hands on her thighs and everyone else’s eyes on them. But she found that she didn’t care. He could feast on her any way he liked and she would have accepted whatever he doled out. When she woke up, she might mull over that. But at this moment in time, all she cared about was the heat pooling inside her and the hunger threatening to burst out if he didn’t do anything.</p><p>Good thing that the green-eyed man was not one to stay still.</p><p>He had ripped her clothes, torn her underwear and spread her legs. He didn’t spare any moment for foreplay and yet she was already overflowing between her legs. </p><p>When he entered her, all she could think was how right it felt. And what a shame it was all just a dream.</p><p>____________________</p><p>There came a point in time when her apartment overflowed with flowers. It was a sea of white that it looked like there was no other color in her home but varying shades of white. Now she understood how a language could have different words to describe different facets of what was basically the same thing.</p><p>Vanya wouldn’t hoard dead flowers even as it broke her heart to throw them away. But what once was a weekly delivery was now a daily delivery. So despite her wanting to keep the flowers, she decided it was getting ridiculous. She didn’t know who the mysterious sender was. Thus, she couldn’t get the person to stop sending or at least go back to his weekly schedule.</p><p>So she had to give some of the flowers away.</p><p>This decision also prompted a visit to Mom. It was sort of a <i>one thing leading to another</i> type of situation. If she was giving her flowers away to neighbors and coworkers, she should at least give some to her Mom. How could she not?</p><p>The flowers were beautiful and Grace would love them. At least, she would have loved them.</p><p>Diego took the flowers and set them on Grace’s table. But Vanya could tell he didn’t like the fact that it took Vanya so long to visit Grace. She wanted to defend herself. But really, there was no excuse.</p><p>“Vanya, dear. Is that you? You look so beautiful.”</p><p>Vanya managed to hold back tears.</p><p>“Yes, Mom. It’s me. How are you doing?”</p><p>Grace gave her a beatific smile, which lasted only a moment before something akin to realisation flashed in her eyes. And with that, Grace started weeping.</p><p>“How could you, Vanya? You broke your promise. I tried my best to protect you. But the sea has you now. It won’t let go of you. Like it didn’t let go of me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Vanya! I loved the sea once. But the last time, it gave me something. A curse. A gift. Something that was both. It came out of my body. It was human. But it was also a monster. A baby kraken! Like that baby, you also have a monster inside you. I tried everything to put it to sleep, wishing it would die in its sleep. But it won’t die. It just won’t die! It just won’t die! It just won’t die! It just won’t die! It just won’t die! It-“</p><p>Diego had to give Mom tranquilizers to calm her down.</p><p>_________________________</p><p>Pogo told her that Mom had a miscarriage a long time ago. It caused the breakdown that lead to her first stay in the hospital.</p><p>“But where was the father of her baby? Why wasn’t he there to help her?”</p><p>“I’m afraid that Ms Grace never told us who fathered her child. But from what I know, her child was conceived some time during her last voyage around the world.”</p><p>“So the father could be one of the crew who was on her boat.”</p><p>Pogo only shook his head. They were all employees under Reginald Hargreeves’ payroll. They knew better than to do anything untoward to his only daughter. Besides, the boat traveled around the world and docked at various ports. Grace could have met the father anywhere.</p><p>_________________________</p><p>The more time Vanya spent at the aquarium, the more merit she saw in Klaus’ words. Granted, not all of them made sense, given that he was often under the influence of one substance or the other.</p><p>Vanya often wondered how he managed to keep his job. Sure there were a lot of salacious theories. But Vanya never gave those any heed. She would have preferred finding out from Klaus himself. Then again, she didn’t know how to start that conversation because they all sounded pretty rude.</p><p>She was pretty sure Klaus was too easy going to be offended but still, Vanya didn’t want to risk it.</p><p>She loved playing for Dolores. It was peaceful there. Allison had a wonderful singing voice and it felt great to know that at least she was helping someone.</p><p>But she can’t help feeling that there was something not quite right with the Aquarium. It was ridiculous because she’d never been to any other aquarium. But on the other hand, she always felt like she was being watched, mostly by its non-human inhabitants.</p><p>At first, she thought that perhaps she inherited Mom’s madness. But that was impossible. They weren’t even biologically related.</p><p>When nothing untoward happened, which was basically saying that nothing went even stranger, Vanya managed to calm down. The animals’ regard became part of her new normal. </p><p>This was broken when she sensed someone watching her. Vanya didn’t know how and why she felt it. But she knew that someone had been following her almost everywhere she went, stalking her, waiting for the chance to get her alone. </p><p>It went on for days that even Klaus managed to scare her by sneaking up on her, which earned him a shellfish projectile on the head, courtesy of Ben.</p><p>“Ouch, Ben! Quit it! Or I’ll get a chef to chop you up and make you part of a sushi roll!”</p><p>That only earned Klaus oyster on the head.</p><p>“Ok! Ok!”</p><p>If Vanya didn’t know any better, she would have thought there was some sort of silent communication between Klaus and Ben, who was and still is an octopus.</p><p>“You’ve been jumpy these past few days, V. What’s up?”</p><p>“It’s nothing, really. REALLY.”</p><p>Klaus still looked unconvinced. But he let it slide.</p><p>“Have you heard about Sir Reggie?”</p><p>In fact, Vanya hadn’t heard anything other than what Klaus told her. That Sir Reginald was out to hunt for a killer whale that was allegedly a serial killer for sharks.</p><p>“Well, no one’s heard from him. So everyone thinks he’s really lost at sea.”</p><p>Klaus didn’t seem too concerned that his employer might never be heard from again. Not that Vanya was any different. To be sure, she felt bad for Grace since Reginald is or was her father. But other than that, she couldn’t seem to muster much sympathy for that cold, calculating old man who didn’t even bother to visit his daughter at the hospital.</p><p>“Is that possible? Doesn’t his ship have all the latest equipments?”</p><p>“Yeah but the sea’s a big and mysterious place. It can swallow a lot of things. Even continents. You don’t get things back from the sea unless it lets you.”</p><p>Vanya couldn’t tell if Klaus was serious or joking. But there was a ring of truth in his words. The problem was trying to determine what it was.</p><p>“It just goes to show how the biggest, baddest predators will always have something bigger and badder out there to eat it up. Did you know that this Aquarium once had a Great White Shark?”</p><p>That was news to Vanya. In fact, she heard that aquariums discontinued even trying to bring in Great Whites because it was simply too expensive to maintain them and keep them alive in an enclosed space. Most Great Whites in captivity lasted less than a month. The longest on record that lived in captivity was six months but only because it was a young and not yet great Great White enclosed in a very big space.</p><p>“It was way before my time. But I heard it lasted for a year before it died.”</p><p>“It got too big for its tank?”</p><p>That was when Klaus seemed to turn tight lipped.</p><p>“What? Why did it die Klaus?”</p><p>“Well, I heard that Sir Reginald made it part of some breeding program. You know how some shark species eat their siblings in the womb? Well, this one had babies inside her. Only thing is one of her babies ate her other babies. And then ate its way out of her womb.”</p><p>Vanya was shocked. And couldn’t believe that actually happened. She’d never heard of sharks being born that way. Not ever.</p><p>“What happened to it?”</p><p>“Obviously, it died. Being eaten from the inside would do that to you.”</p><p>“No. I mean with the baby shark.”</p><p>“Well no one knows. Which proves my point. You can be the biggest and baddest predator around. But something always gets you in the end.”</p><p>____________________</p><p>Thanks to Klaus, she felt even jumpier than before. Were the street lights always this dim? Or was the night simply that dark?</p><p>She had spent several hours trying to soothe Dolores. But she seemed even sadder and lonelier than usual. Vanya had tried to find out what happened to Dolores’ baby. But so far, Vanya didn’t have any luck.</p><p>It only belatedly occurred to her to ask Klaus. If he knew, it wouldn’t be very hard for Vanya to get Klaus to tell her.</p><p>But as it was, the night was getting late. And she needed to get home.</p><p>Vanya decided to take a shortcut through an alley. She’d used it a hundred times before and she had expected this night to go the same way.</p><p>But it seemed that this night was different.</p><p>Because she found herself thrown to a wall and held at knifepoint.</p><p>Vanya could only shake in fear as the man in front of her ordered her to give him all her money and valuables. He wasn’t even wearing a mask.</p><p>She hoped he would simply take her money and go. But as her shaking hands reached for her bag, she wondered if she’d be leaving the alley with her life. She could identify this man. If he really wanted to stay out of jail, he might want to make sure by taking care of any witnesses.</p><p>But what choice did she have?</p><p>She must have taken too long. Out of patience, the mugger decided to grab hold of her bag. </p><p>With a sigh of relief,  Vanya thought he was finally going to leave her alone when he tried to take her violin case.</p><p>Out of instinct, Vanya resisted. She loved her violin and it wasn’t easily replaceable due to its sentimental value. Mom gave it to her.</p><p>But Vanya realized too late that she had made a wrong move. The mugger would have stabbed her had tentacles not sprung out of her bag and started choking her would-be killer.</p><p>Vanya could only watch in horror as the tentacles grew larger and larger in size. Her bag had become nothing more than ragged material.</p><p>And then she noticed that the tentacles were coming from Ben. But Ben wasn’t the Ben she knew. </p><p>Ben was an octopus that loved to leave his tank and hitch a ride in Vanya’s bag. But she could swear that until the day she died, she would never forget the sight of limbs rearranging and cracks of what sounded like it came from bones. Was Ben crushing the mugger? No, it didn’t seem like the sound was coming from the mugger’s bones. But that was ridiculous. An octopus suddenly developing a skeletal system?</p><p>His tentacles were still choking the mugger. But it wasn’t connected to an octopus anymore. Instead, the tentacles looked to be emanating from the stomach of a fully grown Asian man.</p><p>Vanya wanted to run away. But she was rooted on the spot. </p><p>She couldn’t move even if she wanted to. Couldn’t scream in horror or shout for help. Couldn’t help the mugger even had she felt like it. So all she could do was watch as the tentacles dragged the choking man towards Ben’s stomach. If she had eaten anything before this moment, Vanya would have vomited from the sight of the man seemingly being dragged whole into Ben’s stomach.</p><p>And in what seemed like no time at all, the mugger was gone. And only Vanya and Ben remained.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>Ben made to go to her. But Vanya finally found her voice.</p><p>“Stay away from me! What are you?”</p><p>“Let me take you home. And I’ll explain.”</p><p>“No! Get away from me!”</p><p>Vanya ran as fast as she could. Ben didn’t even make a move to stop her. But then she found Klaus blocking her way.</p><p>“Hear us out Vanya,” Klaus said as his eyes implored her to try to understand.</p><p>But something clicked as she saw Klaus. </p><p>Klaus, Allison and Luther. Like Ben, they weren’t quite what they seemed. They weren’t quite human. Klaus should have been fired ten times over for his shenanigans. But he’d been working in the aquarium for years. And then there was how he could survive years of close contact with puffer fish. He should have been dead ten times over.</p><p>Now that she thought about it Luther’s bulk wasn’t normal either. She had always assumed that Luther was into heavy body building. But his shape under his coat simply didn’t look right.</p><p>And Allison, she had a way of mesmerising people with her voice. </p><p>Everything about them was strange. And the only thing that should have surprised Vanya was how much she simply ignored the signs. Then again, she supposed it was the story of her life. After all,  she had done that with Harold Jenkins too.</p><p>So why not a bunch of people whom she thought of as friends?</p><p>“We’re your friends, Vanya.”</p><p>It was Allison. She had come with Luther.</p><p>“You belong with us. Do you remember the first time you came to the aquarium? Didn’t you feel like you were home? It’s because it is your home. You’re like us. You know that’s why you never felt like you belonged when you were growing up at Rella. Grace thought she was doing what was best for you by weakening your instincts. But she didn’t realise that it would eventually kill you too. You can’t survive on plants. That isn’t who you are. Please, let me get you coffee. Or a drink, if you’d like that better. I’ll explain mor-“</p><p>But Vanya wasn’t up to hearing what Allison had to say.</p><p>“LEAVE ME ALONE!”</p><p>What followed was a violent gust of wind and what could be described as a minor earthquake.</p><p>Vanya expected them to rush at her, to somehow capture and contain her. But they didn’t. To her surprise, they kneeled. Not in fear. </p><p>But in awe.</p><p>They stayed that way even as she found renewed energy to run back home.</p><p>_____________________</p><p>Vanya didn’t bother turning on the lights. As soon as she got her apartment door open, she slammed it behind her and locked it.</p><p>She didn’t think locks would be any match for Luther. Especially not Ben or whatever limbs that resided in his stomach.</p><p>And then all at once, she felt guilty. Ben saved her. But instead of thanking him, she ran away.</p><p>But they’ve been lying to her. And it hurt. Sure, she probably would've done the same thing had she been in their shoes. Vanya definitely wouldn’t have told someone she considered a friend that she wasn’t exactly human and expect to be believed without a demonstration that would have left that friend running for the hills.</p><p>But did they really consider her a friend?</p><p>Allison lured her into the aquarium. The question was: why?  What did they need from her?</p><p>And with a sinking feeling, Vanya remembered Leonard all over again.</p><p>But she didn’t have time for tears though. Because for the second time that night, she found herself in danger. When she finally turned on the lights, she found a stranger aiming a gun at her.</p><p>It took a moment to register who he was. The police showed her a picture of him. Leonard’s accomplice.</p><p>He was shaking in fear. Fear of her?</p><p>That didn’t seem to matter because from this distance, he could kill her with a shot.</p><p>“I saw what you did to Harold, you freak of nature! I tried to run. But whenever I close my eyes, you were there. So here I am. I’m going to kill you, once and for all. And then I can get a good night’s sleep.”</p><p>His gun had a silencer. Her would-be murderer had the forethought to muffle the sound of the gun to escape detection.</p><p>That was Vanya’s last thought before he fired.</p><p>_____________________</p><p>When Vanya came to, she tasted blood in her mouth. And the remains of her attacker on the floor. </p><p>Her belly felt full. But for some reason, she still felt hungry.</p><p>And the grotesque sight in front of her did not cause her to vomit out whatever she consumed. With dawning horror, she began to realize what made up the current contents of her stomach.</p><p>“Magnificent as always.”</p><p>Vanya turned to find a man at her doorway, carrying a bouquet of white orchids. Much later, she’d find out that he knew how to pick locks, her locks in particular. But at the moment, she marveled at the sight of a well-dressed man making his way towards her.</p><p>He made sure to close the door behind him.</p><p>“These are for you,” he said as he crouched down to her level and handed her the orchids.</p><p>When Vanya made no move to take them, he placed the bouquet on her coffee table.</p><p>And just as suddenly, she recognised him. He was the man from her dreams. The one who had sex with her on the table and at sea. After she dealt with Harold the same way she dealt with her...victim.</p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p>“We’re already well acquainted, Vanya. I didn’t think we needed any introductions. But seeing as you were giving away my gifts, I decided to deliver those in person.”</p><p>He made his way to her armchair, looking at her as if she was the most amusing thing he had seen in his life, all in an elegant suit and hair slicked back with pomade.</p><p>And then Vanya remembered the creature he was before he revealed his human form. She remembered what he told her in her dreams.</p><p>“You’re the serial killer orca. Dolores is your mother.”</p><p>“Guilty as charged.”</p><p>“What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Don’t play coy. You know I want you. But that can wait. As I see you have a bit of a problem in your hands right now.”</p><p>Vanya wanted to scuttle away from the body. But she seemed rooted to the spot. And she realized that it wasn’t all out of fear.</p><p>He was right of course. Under normal circumstances, she would call the police. Report that someone tried to kill her. But how was she to explain accidentally cannibalizing her would-be assailant?</p><p>“Yes, that’s right. I’ve only been on land a relatively short time. But I’ve learned a lot. It’s highly unlikely they’d believe you ate him in self-defence. At best, you can go for an insanity plea. But that means being hospitalised somewhere even more restrictive than where Mommy Dearest is currently residing. If that happens, don’t worry. Diego is sure to take good care of her. She may have rejected him at birth. But he’s a loyal son.”</p><p>Diego was Grace’s baby?</p><p>Vanya’s head hurt at the sudden influx of revelations that bombarded her in one night.</p><p>“What are you? And what am I?”</p><p>“You already know. In your heart, you know. That’s why you didn’t want to hear a word Allison said. You knew what you had to do to gain this human form.”</p><p>He was right. </p><p>Somehow, she knew. Ever since Klaus told her about it.</p><p>She was the baby Great White who ate her siblings and her mother from the womb. Somehow, it didn’t faze her. Or maybe she was simply in a prolonged state of shock.</p><p>“How could you afford the flowers?” </p><p>Somehow, that seemed more important than all the other questions that might have been more pressing.</p><p>“Money’s not hard to come by if you’re not too particular on how to acquire it. Between you and me, I found it a lot faster to get rich doing what most people call the ‘bad stuff.’ And as you already know, I’m at my best when I’m doing my worst. But enough about me. The question remains, what are you going to do about that body?”</p><p>Fear came with his reminder of her current predicament. </p><p>She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in jail or in a mental institution. She didn’t want to know what she’d do the next time she was provoked. And she didn’t think either was a good place to find out.</p><p>But what was she to do? And who did she have to turn to? Mom was indisposed. And her friends? She didn’t know if they really were her friends.</p><p>Realisation came just as suddenly.</p><p>“You know very well what I’m going to do. The real question is, are you going to help me or not?”</p><p>Vanya marveled at how calm her voice was.</p><p>If he detected a slight quaver near the end, the green-eyed man did not comment.</p><p>Instead, he took off his coat and folded back the sleeves of his crisp white shirt as he made his way back to her. With amazing feat of strength, he took a sizeable chunk of flesh from the corpse. But instead of consuming it, he offered the flesh to her.</p><p>“I’ve never shared anything with anyone, especially not food. But this moment binds us more than any other. I offer this to you as a symbol of my loyalty and undying devotion.”</p><p>Vanya didn’t really understand what he meant. She honestly didn’t even want to do what she had to do (Or did she? She couldn’t tell anymore). But to cover up this death, she- they had to get rid of the body.</p><p>And this was the quickest way to do it.</p><p>So she pulled his hand closer to her and took a big bite out of his offering.</p><p>THE END</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I got some of my information off of YouTube</p><p>Such as the theory that Orcas actually eat Great White liver. There are actually two orca siblings (named Port and Starboard) who are rumoured to be attacking Great Whites and eating their liver.</p><p>And yes, it really is expensive to keep Great Whites alive in captivity. They need open ocean.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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